Over the summer months, SoonerNation will take a closer look at each player on Oklahoma’s roster in our Crimson Countdown series. We will analyze each player’s impact on the program since they arrived on campus, their potential impact this fall and their long-term impact in the daily series. Starting with No. 1 Kendal Thompson, the series will go in numerical order until our final analysis of No. 99 Chaz Nelson.

Quarterback Kendal Thompson is in the middle of a battle to start for the Sooners.

Impact thus far: Thompson has impressed in his two biggest tests during his time on campus with solid performances in the spring game in 2012 and 2013. As a redshirt freshman he led the White squad on a game-winning touchdown on its final drive and this spring he showed his run-pass ability while throwing for another touchdown earlier this month. Additionally his commitment cannot be questioned as he was often seen putting in extra time after practice to hone his physical skills. He’s been on campus for three years but has never played in a game.

Expectations for 2013: Thompson is in the middle of a three-quarterback battle with Blake Bell and Trevor Knight. His destiny as a Sooner could be determined this fall. There is no expectation for him to win the job as none of the three has really distanced himself as a clear No. 1 quarterback heading into the summer.

Best-case scenario in 2013: Thompson wins the job and uses his unique running ability to create havoc for defenses this fall. For that to happen Thompson will have to prove his ability to throw the football and read defenses to match the standard required to play quarterback at OU. And he’ll have to beat out Bell and Knight in the process.

Worst-case scenario in 2013: Thompson doesn’t win the job and isn’t used in any capacity within the Sooners' offense. He possesses unique abilities that could be an asset in OU’s offense even if he doesn’t win the starting job.

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Future impact: In this era of spread offenses, it’s hard to imagine Thompson never having an impact on the program because of the potential havoc he can create for defenses with his feet from the quarterback position. Even if he doesn’t win the job OU should try to find a way to utilize his skills and keep him engaged over the next few years.

SoonerNation's evaluation grade for Thompson: C. Three years into his OU career he’s not a star and he’s not a bust. Only time will tell how well the Sooners evaluated the Moore, Okla., native.

SoonerNation’s development grade for Thompson: B. Even though he hasn’t shown it on Saturdays, the Sooners have done a good job developing Thompson. As last year’s evaluation of Thompson indicates, the sophomore’s impact on the program could be coming clearer and he has made improvement in the past 12 months.